The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called for a ‘Marshall Plan’ to aid the recovery of the Travel and Tourism Sector in Africa, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the sector very hard.

“It is imperative for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to support Africa with a ‘Marshall Plan’ of sorts, in terms of technical assistance, capacity building and grants,” the Minister said in his intervention during the 63rd Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa (CAF), hosted virtually by Seychelles on Monday.

He said the fastest way for the Travel and Tourism Sector in Africa to recover from the effects of the pandemic is to focus on domestic and intra-Africa tourism.

Alhaji Mohammed said following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture had to act quickly, because the impact of the pandemic has been particularly devastating, due to its importance and relevance to the national economy.

“The Travel and Tourism sector and indeed the entire Nigeria Creative Industry is large, diverse, dynamic and critical for economic growth, development and diversification. It is the biggest creator of jobs after agriculture. Also, the Industry contributes between 2.5 and 3%to the nation’s GDP,” he said.

The Minister told the meeting that a 22-member stakeholders committee has been established and tasked with working out the immediate, short and long term economic stimulus and initiatives for the industry, in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic.

“The committee, with membership drawn from the Tourism, Hospitality, Music, Film, Fashion, Photography and Broadcasting media, among others, is tasked with assessing the expected impact of the pandemic on the industry in general; advising the government on how to mitigate job and revenue losses in the industry as well as to create succour for the industry small businesses; suggesting the type of taxation and financing that are best for the industry at this time to encourage growth, and advising the government on any other measure or measures that can be undertaken to support the industry.

“We are rejigging the National Endowment for the Arts to align it with the current realities. We are also studying the new set of guidelines/recommendations by the UNWTO as well as the ‘Safe Travel Protocols’ designed by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) for the purpose of domesticating them. I have no doubt that the measures we are putting in place will yield positive results in sustaining the Creative Industry in Nigeria,”' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also established a 50 billion Naira stimulus package to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on households, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the Creative Industry.

He said as Nigeria gradually opens up, just like the rest of the world, new protocols are being put in place for the safety and security of all, listing such measures as training of personnel on security and safety measures, infection control, adherence to government protocols, enhanced hygiene measures, use of personal protective equipment and facility sanitation.

The Minister commended the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which has pledged US$500 million for the Creative Industry in Africa, saying that the support will come in handy “as our sector seeks to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

•PHOTO: The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while attending the 63rd Virtual Meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa from his office in Abuja on Monday

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